


‘Tis the Season

by MsYukari



Category: Wentworth (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, F/F, Homelessness, Mild Smut, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 07, Season/Series 08, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:21:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21950332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsYukari/pseuds/MsYukari
Summary: Vera takes a mysterious homeless woman back home for Christmas. But it doesn’t take long for her to find out who it is...
Relationships: Vera Bennett/Joan Ferguson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	‘Tis the Season

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me when I kept thinking of something different to write for a FreakyTits Christmas fic this year. I hope everyone likes it! :)

Vera was just leaving work on Christmas Eve. She had tomorrow off and she was looking forward to Grace’s first Christmas. She smiled at the new baby clothes that Jake had given her. He would be able to see Grace a couple days after Christmas. This time of year softened her, even more so since she had her daughter. She wanted to make everything perfect for her.

There were just a few more items she needed to get for tonight and tomorrow. She usually tried to avoid the holiday crowds, but lately she’d been so busy with the prison and being a single mom. 

As she walked closer to the store, she saw what appeared to be a homeless person sitting by the door. Their face was obscured by a dark hood. Vera couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman, but by the looks of the long legs she thought it was probably a man. Next to the person was a tin can asking for change. 

The person didn’t say a word, and never looked up. Vera thought it was so sad for those who didn’t have a home, especially around the holidays. She always wondered what happened to these people to be in these situations.

Some were drug addicts and alcoholics, and others were just going through serious hardships. She wondered why this person wasn’t in a shelter. 

_Perhaps they’re too full of people..._

She didn’t have any change on her, but decided she would get some cash back after she made her purchases. 

Vera thought maybe if this person was okay with it, she could invite them to her house for dinner. But then she thought of how she didn’t know this person at all, and whether or not they could have a mental illness or a criminal record.

It wasn’t just herself she had to worry about anymore. She sighed softly, knowing she had to be better safe than sorry. 

But then she thought about how her mother never wanted to help anyone, and definitely not this time of year. Vera wanted to be different than her. 

She wanted to raise her daughter to be a kind and compassionate person. While she wouldn’t remember this time as a baby, she could tell her daughter stories about trying to help the less fortunate. 

The person was still sitting out by the door, and even though it was summertime, there was a chill in the air and the skies were becoming cloudy. She paused and stood next to the hooded figure. 

“Excuse me, um... I know we don’t know each other, but I’d hate to see anyone out here by themselves during Christmas. I thought I could give you some money, and I still will, but how would you feel about coming home with me? I’m not the best cook, but I promise you’ll have a nice warm meal,” she said, her voice shaking a little from anxiety. She’d never done anything like this before and she wondered if maybe she was making a mistake.

_I don’t even know this person!_

The figure tilted their head, as if considering her question. She held her breath as she waited for an answer, and the person slowly nodded. 

“Thank you,” they said, the voice low and raspy. 

She still couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman, and then when the person slowly stood up, she could see what looked like a womanly figure. She was very tall. About as tall as... Joan Ferguson.

Vera couldn’t see the woman’s face very well, but the gait was so very similar to _hers._

_But she’s dead. I’m imagining things._

Or maybe it was wishful thinking. There was a part of her that wanted Joan to still be alive, not just so she could pay for her crimes, but because she didn’t deserve to be murdered in cold blood.

_Definitely not buried alive..._

The woman never spoke as she drove her home, and she wondered if she often kept to herself.

“I have a baby girl at home. I hope you’re okay with children.”

“You have a child?” The voice asked softly.

“Yes, she’s only a few months old. She was definitely a surprise,” she laughed, “and I was very scared there for a while. But now... now I can’t imagine my life without her.”

“And the father?”

Vera was a little uncomfortable getting this personal, but she did invite the woman to her house. She sighed as she spoke. “We’re not together. I wish I could say that I never met him, but if I hadn’t, then I wouldn’t have Grace. If there’s one thing he did right, it’s being a good father.”

“Hmm.”

Vera quirked her brow, glancing at the woman from the corner of her eye.

“Do you... have any family?” She felt stupid as soon as she asked it, but she wasn’t sure what to say in this moment.

“No,” she said curtly.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry.”

“It’s all right. I asked you first.”

“You know, you remind me of someone I used to know.”

“Do I?” She asked curiously.

“Yes, but she’s gone.”

“And was she a friend... or foe?”

That was such a strange question to ask. Vera pursed lips.

“It’s complicated, but she was a little of both, I guess.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s dead.”

The woman cleared her throat, speaking again in a low voice. “Do you miss her?”

Vera felt a twinge of sadness. “Sometimes, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. If I had known what was going to happen, I could have stopped it. She might think I wanted her dead, but I didn’t.”

She wasn’t sure why she was confessing this to a complete stranger, but it somehow felt cathartic. 

The woman was silent for the rest of the ride home, and she wondered if maybe she was just very hungry and tired. 

She paid the babysitter, and wished her a Merry Christmas and closed the door when she left.

“You can sit down if you’d like. I don’t have much but I have clothes you might fit into. I could wash them for you.”

The taller woman walked over to a coffee table, gently touching a photo of her daughter. “That’s little Grace. She’s asleep now, but you might see more of her if she wakes up.”

“She looks a lot like you, Vera.”

Vera’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”

The woman turned towards her, lowering her hood, and brushed her hair behind her ear. Vera gasped and took a few steps back.

“What?! How did you—? How are you even alive?!”

Joan sat down on her couch, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself. “It’s a very long story.”

Vera sat down across from her. “You deceived me! What were you planning on doing with me? Kill me?!”

Joan sighed and shook her head. “I never deceived you. You assumed we didn’t know each other, and invited me into your home. Normally I wouldn’t go with a complete stranger, but once I heard your voice, I couldn’t say no.”

“You knew very well I wouldn’t have taken you in if I knew it was you. You tricked me!”

Joan stared wearily at her. “Vera, as much as you might think I have bad intentions towards you, I’m homeless and I’m tired. I haven’t had much to eat, and I trusted you once before. I made a choice to go with you because... well, because it was you.”

“What do you mean?” She asked impatiently. 

“At one time, we were a team, and you were my friend. You may not have been able to save me from being buried alive, but you did save me from the lynching. I always wondered why, but it’s because I know you’re a kind person.”

“I didn’t do it out of kindness!”

“Say what you like. But you admitted to missing me earlier in the car. Is it so hard to believe that after everything we’ve been through, that I might miss you too?”

Vera bit her lip, and lifted her hand under her chin. “You haven’t made anything easy,” she sighed.

Joan gave her a small smile. “I never make things easy. It’s somewhat in my nature. If you’d like me to leave, I can. There has been too much bad blood between us,” she said quietly. 

Vera watched as she stood up and walked towards the door. Vera was about to let her go because she knew it was for the best. Joan almost died in the lynching, escaped from prison, later to be left for dead, and then somehow resurrected. 

_It would be completely insane of me to spend Christmas with Joan Ferguson, wouldn’t it?_

“Wait,” Vera said. She followed her to the door. “I invited you here, and I keep my word. You can stay, but I want you gone the day after Christmas. Do you understand?”

Joan was surprised and nodded slowly. “I understand, and thank you.”

Vera was a little cautious but meant what she said. “You’re welcome.”

“I won’t be any trouble,” Joan said softly. “All I require is a shower, a little something to eat, and a bed for the night. Even your couch will suffice.”

“I have a guest room. You can sleep there. In the meantime, just stay in here. You can watch TV while I make dinner.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d just like to sit in the kitchen with you. We don’t have to talk.”

Vera raised her brow. “All right. I guess that would be okay. Would you like anything to drink?”

“Water is fine.”

Vera nodded. “I, uh, also have some wine. If you’d like some of that too.” She was remembering the last time they had dinner, and she looked back at Joan. 

“I have some—”

“Pinot?” Joan asked, and smiled.

“Y-yes,” she said nervously.

“I can pour some for us both.” Joan moved around her kitchen, and took out the wine glasses. She handed Vera a glass, and took a sip of her own. 

“It tastes just as good as the last time we had it,” she said softly. 

“Joan, about that last time, I’m sorry for what happened. I shouldn’t have walked out.”

“Thank you for telling me that. I always wanted you to come back, but you never did,” she said, and that’s when Vera heard the hurt in her voice. 

“I was too angry.”

“I know you were, and I don’t blame you. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what happened too. I know I made your life hell after, but I was angry too.”

Vera nodded, putting their dinner into the oven. Joan’s hand touched her shoulder, and she slowly looked up at her. 

Joan squeezed her shoulder, and smiled. She didn’t say anything for a few seconds and she was shocked to see such a soft expression on the older woman’s face. 

“Joan, I—“

“May I use your shower?” Vera was taken aback by the abrupt question, and she nodded. 

“Yes, it’s down the hall and to your left. I have towels in the closet and some old clothes. Hope some fit you all right,” she said awkwardly.

Joan nodded, and Vera watched her walk down the hall. 

“Out of all the people you decided to take home,” she muttered.

After a short while, Joan walked out dressed in a bathrobe, gently drying her damp hair with a towel. She looked soft and clean, and much more relaxed.

“Thank you, Vera. You have no idea how good it feels to be clean again. I try, but it’s not easy out there.”

Vera thought this was so surreal. Not only because Joan was in her house, but because it was so strange to see her as a homeless person. It was then that she realized just how vulnerable Joan was right now. 

There was something very organic about seeing Joan sitting at her kitchen table in a bathrobe. She looked soft, and dare she say it, beautiful. There was no doubt that Joan was an unconventionally beautiful woman. She was tall with a broad frame, and strong facial features, but they were also softened by her smile and the look in her eyes. She wondered what Joan was like years ago, when she wasn’t so filled with anger and revenge. What was she like before she became the Governor of a prison?

Vera thought she’d probably never know, and she reminded herself that just because Joan was acting surprisingly polite, it didn’t mean this situation wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass later. 

Joan drank a glass of water, closing her eyes as she crossed her legs. The robe opened a little and she could see the side of a smooth, ivory thigh. 

It was somewhat erotic...

Vera realized she hadn’t been with anyone in a while, and now here she was, feeling some kind of attraction towards her. 

_I really am desperate…_

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Vera took a sip of her wine and rested her hip against the counter.

“I’m thinking about how this is going to work with you here,” she said honestly.

“I told you that I can leave,” Joan said quietly.

“I know, but I don’t want you to yet.”

Joan gently brushed her hair, looking at her as she did so. Vera was reminded of another time Joan did this in front of her. It was such a... normal human thing to do. 

“Well, why don’t we make the most of it then? The tree you have out there, I see it doesn’t have a topper.”

“Oh, I just haven’t gotten a ladder out yet.”

“I can put your star or angel on the top. I’m tall enough,” Joan said and winked. 

Vera was about to protest, but Joan walked into the living room. She found the star that Vera had out, and effortlessly put it on top of the tree. 

“How does that look?”

Vera walked up, and stood next to Joan. “It looks lovely, thank you.”

Joan looked down at her and smiled, and Vera gasped as Joan stumbled over the cord from the Christmas tree lights, and Vera grabbed her to try and catch her fall. 

It didn’t work as well as she hoped, and they both fell onto the door. Joan was on top of her, with her leg pressed between hers. Her hair softly fell over her face as she looked down at Vera.

Vera stared back up at her, and lifted her hands to her hips. Joan was so close to her face that she could feel her breath against her lips.

“Are you all right?” Joan whispered.

“Yes,” she whispered back. She could smell Joan’s hair, and her skin. It was a very light citrus, which wasn’t surprising since that was in her shower. And there was some other natural scent of hers. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it smelled clean and feminine. 

Joan brushed a lock of hair away from Vera’s face. “I never told you how beautiful you are.”

Vera sucked in a breath, unsure of how to respond to such a thing. She didn’t have to when she felt soft lips touch hers.

She was surprised, and stiffened slightly, and then she felt Joan’s hand gently brush her neck and shoulder. She slowly relaxed into her kiss, wrapping her arms around her back. 

Joan kissed her softly at first, seeming to test the waters a bit, before her kiss grew more passionate. Vera didn’t exactly know what to do, but she then forgot about any worry she had when Joan kissed her neck, and she moaned softly.

Joan kissed her again, and held her close. She nipped at her lip, and then sucked on it, and Vera was soon rocking her hips against her. Joan moaned, and her hand cupped her breast. Vera was lost in arousal, and didn’t care what this would mean later. She tilted her head back again when Joan kissed her neck.

“You’re so responsive,” she whispered, as she sucked her skin. 

Vera looked into her eyes that were very dark and full of arousal.

“Joan,” she moaned, opening her legs wider as the taller woman fit herself between them. 

“Yes,” Joan rasped, moving her hands under her shirt. Vera gasped as her hands touched her stomach and breasts. Joan’s robe loosened, and she could see more of her cleavage. Vera caressed her collarbones, slowly running her fingers down to her full breasts, and began to tease her nipples. 

Joan made a soft sound in the back of her throat, closing her eyes at Vera’s touch. She cupped her face and leaned down to kiss her deeply.

Vera had never been kissed like this before, and she felt herself falling even more. She moaned when Joan took her nipple into her mouth and began to suck. 

Joan slowly stopped and kissed her, breathing faster.

”Why did you stop?”

“I can hear the baby crying.”

“What?” She asked breathlessly.

“Grace is crying.”

Vera groaned. “Oh, my god I can’t believe I didn’t hear her!” She was embarrassed, and blushed even more.

Joan slowly moved off of her. “Well, you were rather occupied,” she said and smirked.

Vera quickly moved down the hall, and picked up Grace. She soothed her and shushed her. 

“It’s all right sweetheart,” she whispered. “Mummy’s here.”

She screamed, and Vera winced. She wondered if maybe she needed her diaper changed, but she couldn’t smell anything. 

Joan stood in the doorway, and that was when Grace’s loud cries suddenly stopped. Vera turned towards her, and crooked her finger at Joan.

She hesitated before she slowly walked inside. Grace seemed curious by this new stranger, and almost mesmerized. Vera couldn’t quite blame her, since she was feeling that way just a few moments ago.

“Gracie, this is Joan,” she said and smiled.

Joan gently stroked the baby’s cheek, and smiled when Grace took a hold of her finger.

“Hello, little Grace.”

Vera watched as Joan stroked the baby girl’s head. “Do you want to hold her?”

“No, no, I couldn’t.”

“Sure you can. She really likes you.”

She handed Grace over to Joan before she could protest, and the baby smiled at Joan as she held her. Joan chuckled at the little head bump she received. 

“I guess this isn’t too bad,” she said softly, stroking Grace’s hair and back.

Vera smiled. “You’re a natural with her.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

“No, you are. I’ve never seen her like this with anyone. Not even Jake.”

Joan’s eyes clouded. “I’m very sorry about what happened with him,” she said quietly. 

“Thank you, but without him then I wouldn’t have her. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“She’s precious,” Joan said softly, stroking the soft cheek again. It didn’t take long for Grace to fall asleep, and Joan slowly and gently put her back into her crib.

As they walked outside of her room, Joan turned towards Vera. “I’m sorry, I should be going. I took advantage of you and what happened in there shouldn’t have happened.”

“What?”

“I lost control, and it wasn’t right.”

Vera sighed. “Nothing about this is exactly right or wrong, Joan. But I enjoyed what we were doing, and call me crazy, but I want to do that again... and maybe more.”

“Are you sure?” Joan asked seriously.

Vera didn’t exactly know what she was getting into, but at this moment she didn’t care. 

“It might be a little easier if you weren’t in the guest room. After dinner, we can go back to mine. That is, if you’re comfortable with that.”

Joan smiled slowly. “I’m more than comfortable with that.”

Vera took her hand and stood on her tiptoes to give her a kiss. “I’m looking forward to it. Merry Christmas, Joan.”

Joan pulled her slowly back down the hall. “But dinner!” Vera said. 

“We can get to it later. I’m sure I’ll be very hungry later, but first I really want to unwrap my Christmas present.”

Vera giggled when Joan began to take off her bra. Joan kissed her again.

“Merry Christmas, Vera.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all! And a Happy New Year! :)


End file.
